Wal-Mart to carry sustainable cleaning products

Wal-Mart Stores announced that it will be the first retail store to offer Green Works line of natural cleaning supplies by Clorox.

The Green Works products are made from plant-based ingredients and are formulated to be biodegradable, non-allergenic and will be sold in recyclable bottles, the company said.

"What really caught our attention was that these products perform well," said Scott McCall, senior vp and general merchandise manager for Wal-Mart. McCall added that in lab and blind consumer in-home tests, all Green Works products performed as well as, or better than, leading conventional cleaners.

The Clorox Green Works line will include an all-purpose cleaner, a glass and surface cleaner, a toilet bowl cleaner, a dilutable cleaner and a bathroom cleaner.

Wal-Mart has already led multiple green initiatives, including surpassing its goal of selling more than 100 million CFL bulbs by the end of 2007, a goal they met by early October of last year.

"Sustainability is a priority at Wal-Mart, so our team is excited about the new Green Works line," said McCall. "In fact, when we learned more about the product line, we encouraged Clorox to expedite its global distribution plans and partner with us on marketing to reach the growing number of Wal-Mart shoppers looking for ways to make greener choices that positively impact the environment."

The Green Works products have already shipped to Wal-Mart stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, with shipments to Canada and Mexico coming in later months. The two companies are also collaborating on plans to launch in Central and South America, Japan and China.

"Wal-Mart's support of Green Works has significantly influenced the scale of our launch," said Ed Huber, vp-sales, Wal-Mart team at Clorox. "Along with their size and scale, their commitment to sustainability is enabling us to take natural cleaning to the mainstream at a global level."